16 Jan 2017

Klopp Confirms: 'Brilliant' €21m Liverpool star could miss the next 3 games. Big 'problem' still not resolved

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has provided an update on Joel Matip's current playing status.

Prior to Liverpool's 10-1 draw with Man Utd, a statement on the club's website noted:

"Joel Matip has been withdrawn from selection. The Cameroon Football Federation have failed to confirm that he can play during the AFCON, and Liverpool have sought, as a matter of urgency, clarity from FIFA in this regard".

When asked after the game about Matip's situation, Klopp admitted that the situation is 'frustrating' and suggested that the defender may be unavailable for some upcoming games. He noted:

"I don’t think it’s fair [that] we have this problem. We are still waiting on the decision and we need to get an answer as quickly as possible because on Wednesday we have the next game and then another game and another game. We cannot wait forever".

Matip's absence is an inconvenience, but in my view, it's not an urgent problem. The next game is against Plymouth, and Liverpool have enough defensive quality in the squad to win. Plus, defensively, the Reds are doing just fine without Matip:

* 5 goals conceded in 8 games (One every 144 mins. One defeat in 8 games).

* 4 clean sheets (50% of games, which is higher than the clean sheet average with Matip in the team).

There's also (arguably) an upside to Matip's enforced absence; the longer he's out, the more time he'll have to recover from his injury, and fresher he'll be on his return, which can only be a good thing for Liverpool.

^ Matip: €21m-rated (CIES Football Observatory).


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